The Punisher Early Reviews Are Here

Marvel’s The Punisher is the latest addition to Marvel/Netflix’s list of series and the early reviews for the movie are here. Created by Steve Lightfoot (Hannibal), Punisher is also a Marvel superhero first introduced back in Daredevil Season 2. Played by Jon Bernthal, the show is one of the most anticipated shows of this year.

The first reviews of Punisher are online and it looks like the decision is somewhat split. Here are some of the reviews :

Variety – At first, “Marvel’s The Punisher” seems like another misstep. In the television landscape at large, another overwhelmingly gray and brutally violent show centered on a dysfunctional antihero is superfluous. Within the superhero genre, it’s even more so. But “The Punisher” transcends what it appears to be. Not completely, and not always; this is still a very violent show, saturated in tortured masculinity

Polygon – The Punisher has a small array of subplots, some of which are wrestling with incredibly weighty issues, like the grooming of young, dissatisfied men into political tools and the care (or lack thereof) the system gives to the mental health of veterans. With some of these elements, it’s unclear how they are going to (presumably) connect back to the show’s main plot.

Collider – This is incredibly serious material, and it’s a testament to the ambition of The Punisher that the show’s creator, Steve Lightfoot, does not shy away from the isolationism and inner torment that veterans live with on a daily basis… The series is nothing if not timely, and when the focus is on these matters, The Punisher is more challenging and captivating than anything the MCU or Marvel TV programs have produced thus far.

Forbes – In addition to being the best, The Punisher is also the most violent, unhinged series ever produced by the house Feige (or in this case Jeph Loeb) built. Punisher fans are going to be truly pleased by the series’ take on the character. However, unlike the lackluster two (three if you count that 1989 one) feature films, The Punisher finds a way to make Frank a sympathetic character.

Comic book – What’s truly surprising about The Punisher is just how deep and layered its story really is. More than just a gritty crime story or formulaic superhero origin story, this series touches upon real and timely issues of war trauma and the cost of military service, offering a thought-provoking metaphor for what post-war life is for modern soldiers, and how the scars of violence make it hard (or impossible) to ever acclimate to the civilian world again.

The reactions so far are positive but when compared with Netflix’s previous projects, The Punisher stands weak. See The Punisher for yourself. The Punisher premieres Friday, November 17 on Netflix.